Threshing-machine.



No. 693,|8u. Patented roby", |9112.

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lTHHESHING MABHINE'.

(No Model.)

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UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFF1CE- SIDNEY SOUTI-IWORTH, OF CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN.

THRESHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 693,180, dated February 11, 1902.

Application filed December 22,` 1900. Serial No. 40,723. (No model.)

T all whom t may concern:

13e it known that I, SIDNEY SoUTnWoRTH, a citlzen of the United States, residing at Charlotte, county of Eaton ,State of Michigan,have

invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Threshing-Ma'chines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention', such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to threshing machines, and has for its object an improved feeder for threshers which is especially useful in feeding that class of material that is not bound into bundles at the time it is harvested.

The machine in which this Ainven tion is embodied is especially useful in feeding beans and bean-straw, unbound buckwheat, and clover-straw that is subjected to a threshing process to separate the seeds from the straw. One special feature 4of the improvements is Y found in the device which'is used to separate loose seeds, and especially loose beans,` from the straw before the same goes through between -the cylinder and the concave.

Where bean-straw in which thereis a large quantity of loose or shelled beans passes into the machine betweenthe cylinder and the` concave, the teeth of the cylinder strike directly against the shelled bean and breaks' or splits it, and the broken or split beans are refuse beans, not salable at a full'priceand` therevis considerable loss from this source underthe ordinary treatment. Thisimprovement is intended to separate largelysu'ch loose and shelled beans from the straw anddeliver them nder the concave onto the carrier without leading them through between the concave and cylinder of the threshing-machine.

Another feature of improvement contained in the machine is found in the automatic feeding,which enables the attachment to take the place of the laborer who has generally been required to stand at the mouth of the threshing-machinevand feed material into it. The position at the mouth ofthe machine is one that requires very hard work, and it is very dirty and disagreeable work, and because of the dirt and dust it frequently hap- `siderable distance.

pens that the Workman cannot or will not l feedthe machine to its full capacity, whereas with the improved device not only is the thresher. fed "to its full capacity, but itis vshaken up and loosened, so that-the loose and shelledY beans or other similar seeds drop l to the bottom of the feeder and are separated out from the straw and carried'by the thresher, while the attendants are enabled to stand in a place of comparative comfort at a distance from the dust and dirt that is raised by the action of the machine and its work. j

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, mainly in section, of the feeding attachment connected to the mouth of the threshing-machine, and this view indicates vthe position of the cylinder, the concave, and the carrier under the concave. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the feeding attachment.y

The attachment consists of a frame A, that is made fast to the mouth of the machine and extends back from the feed-'board for a con- .The sides of the frame consist of vertical side boards B B, held by cross-bars b b and secured by boltsor in any suitable `Way to the end of the threshing-machine. Between the side parts is a'bottom a,

that rests at one end on the feed-board C and at the other end on the'crank of a cross-shaft CZ. The shaft d is journaled in bearings in the side boardsB, and on one end of the shaft lis a pulley belted by a belt h to a pulleyD on the end Aof the cylinder-shaft. .-is divided lengthwise by serrated strips e,

The bottom E each of which is'provided with serrations that .are large at the outer or rear end and graded on posts 2, is a shaft 3, having a number of cranks 4, and at each crank thereV is mounted a fork- 5, the top endof which is connected by a link 6 to the casing of the thresher. The bottom of the fork swings when the crank is rotated, and if the proper rotation be given tothe crank the bottom of tine end of the fir-1 fork reaches down toward the feed-board and pushes back and up a part of the straw that may be on its way to the threshing-machine.

At each side of the bottom board E are side boards '7, made fast to the bottom board, these side boards being, preferably, of sheet metal and consequently thin, and they work closely in contact with the side boards B of the casing.

On the casing B, at each side, is aguard 6, preferably of some flexible material or leather' arranged to hang slightly away from the side board and to engage over the thin sides 7, rising from the bottom board.

The outermost end of the bottom board A has a substantially circular motion as the crank-shaft d rotates, and the innermost end has a reciprocating motion, sliding back and forth on the end of the feed-board.

In action the straw to be threshed is thrown loosely onto the movable bottom, which is put into action at the same time with the threshing-machine, and is gradually fed forward into the machine by the thrusts of the teeth or serrations on the ribs e. At the same time it to the bottom board.

or feed action of the straw is aided by the thrusting action of the movable bottom board, which has its greatest inclination during the time of its forward stroke, and drop away from under the straw at the time of its back stroke.

In a feeding device for threshing-machines, the combination of a movable feed-board, provided with apertures and with strips extending lengthwise the feed-board said strips being serrated with teeth that are large at the outer end and which gradually diminish in size toward the cylinder end, a seed-conductor located below and secured to the apertured feed-board and arranged to deliver seed under the concave of the threshing-machine, and reciprocating forks arranged to reach toward the feed-board and to push back and upward a part of the straw, thereby loosening the straw and allowing loose seeds to drop through the straw to and through the feedboard onto the conductor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specilic'ation in the presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY SO'IITTIXVOR'III.

lVitnesses:

D. B. DAVIDSON, ESTELLE KLAIss. 

